


Why Storms Are Named After People

by skullstrings



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alcohol, Arguing, Denial of Feelings, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, Exes, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Happy Ending, Light Angst, M/M, Sad, Weddings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-04
Updated: 2021-03-15
Packaged: 2021-03-16 04:54:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,063
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29201676
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/skullstrings/pseuds/skullstrings
Summary: Levi Ackerman was doing great. His break-up was five months ago and tore him inside out, but other than that, he was doing amazing. He had his own law firm and he was living in a new city. Things couldn’t be better.But when his ex-boyfriend, Eren Jaeger, asks Levi a huge favor, who is he to resist?
Relationships: Levi Ackerman/Eren Yeager, Levi/Eren Yeager
Comments: 25
Kudos: 113





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I only wrote this quickly so I can get the ereri fanfic count to 15k HAHA so enjoy

Levi didn’t usually receive phone calls on the weekend. He made sure to tell _everyone_ at his firm that communications were for business hours and business hours only. Anyone trying to communicate with the older man must reach his secretary _first_. Of course, communication was allowed if it was an absolute _emergency_ , but Levi hired only the most ample lawyers. So phone calls were rare.

This was a system that worked and gave Levi enough privacy to do his own thing on the weekend. Running his own firm was a lot of energy, so he needed to save as much energy to do the things he liked to do.

His own things including trashy TV, copious amounts of cleaning, working out and going on shitty dates. You know, average single life stuff.

So of course, on one Saturday morning, an offending trill sounded through his apartment. Confused and startled at the noise, Levi ran around to find the source until he found his overpriced iPhone buzzing in place on the kitchen counter.

He glared at it. It read an unknown number, blinking and lighting up his device.

Levi thought to ignore it. Perhaps it was one of the men he became acquainted with sometime last month. How annoying. 

On one hand, it could be very important. His workers know the rules. His family was very low maintenance and lived all the way across the country, just the way he liked it. They didn’t bother him and his friends were off doing their own thing.

Hanji was a mother _and_ a pediatrician, so that meant even less time to bother Levi than she did in her twenties. Erwin was a lead field researcher, so he was off in some foreign country doing God knows what. Mike and Nile were more acquaintances than anything.

So what gives?

“Levi Ackerman,” He relented, picking up the phone and leaning against the counter.

“Hey.”

Levi froze at the voice. He scowled and was tempted to throw his device down the garbage disposal. He knew that voice. He hasn’t heard that voice in almost five months, and the last he heard it, the voice was screaming, crying, cursing—your average tantrum.

“Don’t hang up,” The voice quickly said. “Ugh, this is dumb. Erm . . . Hey, Levi—“

“What the fuck do you want, Eren?” Levi asked, intending to make this conversation short and anything less than sweet.

“I—I . . . Look, I kinda fucked up, okay—?”

“No way,” Levi remarked sarcastically, heading to the kitchen to grab a water bottle. Maybe drown himself.

“Can you stop being a fucking asshole for two seconds?” Eren snapped before sighing. “Listen, I need a big favor. And you’re welcome to tell me no, or fuck off, or whatever thing you say to make people hate you—“

“Fuck off.”

“Let me finish, Levi. Please. I wouldn’t ask if I thought you wouldn’t help me.” 

Levi grit his teeth and slammed the fridge shut. He decided to hear the stupid fucker out. Worst case scenario, Levi hangs up and blocks the number. Though it made Levi irritated, since he was sure he blocked Eren on everything months ago.

“So my sister is getting married to Jean next weekend, right?”

“God, _that_ guy?” Levi rolled his eyes.

He remembered who Jean was. He was this tall, pompous asshole who made fun of Levi and Eren often. Mikasa was a nice enough girl, so it made sense to absolutely no one on why they were together. He was only a little surprised the kid grew the nerve to pop the question, considering how gooey he got whenever he was in Mikasa’s presence.

“I know,” Eren’s voice flattened. “Anyway, uh . . . My family is expecting you there because I kinda—sorta _forgottotellthemwebrokeup_ —“

“You _WHAT?!_ ”

“I know it’s bad—“

Levi was seeing red. “Eren, it’s been fucking _months_! How have you explained that, huh?”

Eren huffed. “Not everything is about you, Levi! I’ve been busy with-with graduate school and they never asked so I just figured . . . ? Plus I was going to, but then Mikasa announced she was getting married and it didn’t feel right . . . ?”

Levi pinched his nose bridge. “Eren, I don’t give a _single_ fuck. I’m not going to fly out to save your ass.”

“ _Fly out?_ ” Eren scoffed, his voice dipping in pitch. “So you’re not living in Shiganshina anymore? Wh-Where are you staying now, Levi?”

“Why does it matter?”

“W-Well, whatever!” Eren tripped over his own words. “I just really need you to help me, okay? Mikasa keeps asking about you and I really don’t want to ruin her big day. It would mean a lot to me if you came down here for the weekend and saw my mom and Mikasa again.”

Levi pressed his lips in a tight line.

“I’ll call you back,” Levi promised.

Eren hesitated. “Thanks.”

He promptly hung the phone up and exhaled, not realizing the breath he had been holding. He hadn’t heard Eren’s voice in months and now there was this painful knot in his stomach he couldn’t explain.

 _Fuck_.

Levi chugged his water. _Fuck, fuck, fuck. This was bad. This was really, really bad._

He hated that his first inclination was to help Eren. Not out of the goodness of his heart, or the consideration he had for his ex boyfriend, but for the love of his family.

In their three years together, Levi had grown well accustomed to Carla, Mikasa and even that annoying Jean guy. He missed Armin, Eren’s best friend and he missed Hannes, Eren’s cooky step father. Levi was also well-liked, so it didn’t surprise Levi in the slightest to know his family pestered Eren about him.

Levi placed the empty water bottle onto the counter, his chest heaving.

It was just one weekend. How bad could it be?

-

_This is crazy, isn’t it?_

Levi repeated that thought in his head all the way to the airport. To the plane and now in the taxi. Five days had passed after Levi agreed to help Eren in this lie and the raven was getting more and more anxious by the day. He hadn’t seen Eren in nearly five months. A painfully long time for them to be apart, but that’s how break ups worked.

Levi scowled.

Eren was nice enough to attempt to pay for Levi’s airfare, but Levi declined, assuming the kid was still struggling with money. He grimaced at the insistence, knowing how prideful the brat was.

In their relationship, it was no secret who took care of who. Levi’s income was triple that of Eren’s, so it wasn’t exactly unusual for Levi to cover the cost of their apartment, their bills and any vacations they might have taken. He settled into that role quite nicely, and Eren never seemed to mind until the latter part of their relationship, of course.

Levi shook his head to himself, as if he wanted to rid of the exhaustion that clouded behind his eyes. That was the past. Eren was a big boy. He could handle his own, just as Levi could. The raven should have no reason to worry over the kid like a damn baby bird.

Levi thanked the cab driver and tipped him generously—mostly for keeping his trap shut the entire way. Levi hated talkative drivers.

He left the cab. After retrieving his suitcase from the trunk and waving the driver goodbye, Levi walked up to the daunting steps of the grand hotel he booked for the weekend. He tried to keep his breath even, knowing what was coming in store.

-

As Levi was getting ready for bed, the offending trill of his phone ringing sounded again.

He glared at the device that sat on his bed, deciding to turn back to the mirror. Levi was busy brushing his damn teeth—a ritual he took very seriously, by the way.

The ringing stopped. Levi spat into the sink and washed his hands, his mind drawing peaceful blanks in the familiar and comforting process.

The phone rang again.

“Damn it,” Levi mumbled to himself. He reached over and dried his hands. The lawyer tried to ignore the droplets of water that hit the counters. He needed to answer his phone. There was no time to clean.

But he just couldn’t leave it like this, right?

Quickly, the raven grabbed some tissue paper from the other side of the counter and began wiping the dots of toothpaste water away from the counter. He scrubbed furiously until the ringing stopped.

 _Oh, fuck, my phone!_ Levi scrambled to throw the tissue away before diving for his bed. His room was a luxury hotel, so he had to bypass quite a bit of space between the bed and the bathroom.

The phone rang again. This time, Levi answered right away.

“Hello—?”

“I’ve been calling you,” Eren remarked right away, sounding very irritated.

Levi rolled his eyes. “And a hello to you, too. You’re not sounding very friendly for someone who’s asking a huge favor.”

“Whatever. Did you land yet?”

“I’m in my hotel now. Why, what do you want?”

“So the rehearsal dinner is tomorrow and I need you to meet me early for breakfast.”

“For what?” Levi frowned, his gut churning. “I thought you said we were only doing the rehearsal dinner and then the reception.”

“We are,” Eren spoke. “But my family missed you and they wanted to have lunch together before we go to Mikasa’s house. You know how they are.”

Levi paced his room and crossed his arms. He stated out of the floor to ceiling length windows, the soft skyline of Shiganshina twinkling like stars.

Levi hummed. “So why the breakfast?”

“We need to agree on a story,” Eren began to explain. “Obviously, my family has noticed your lack of presence these past six months—“

“Six months?” Levi’s voice raised. “Eren, it’s been five. Right?”

Eren sighed. He spoke again after a brief silence. “Not important, Levi. Anyway, so I didn’t really have an excuse for them, but I made up stuff along the way. Saying you were working on a case, visiting clients, busy in court—It was very easy to make excuses. Since you were always busy.”

Levi was quiet. He ignored that last, biting sentiment and focused on the fact that Eren’s family had been asking about Levi. It seemed like non-stop, which made Levi a little . . . sad?

Unlike Eren, Levi didn’t exactly have a doting and caring family. He couldn’t imagine how much they pestered him about Levi’s lack of presence and the implications of that. Levi hoped it stung him.

“Why can’t we just come up with excuses now?” Levi offered, wanting to see Eren as little as possible during this weekend. He figured it would be hard to do that, but easy once they were able to blend in with other people and Levi could stick to some of Eren’s better friends like glue.

Eren scoffed. “Because I was at work all day and don’t really feel like talking on the phone with you all night.”

 _Ouch_.

“Fine. Have it your way.”

“I’ll pick you up tomorrow morning. We can go to that breakfast joint you like and talk more there. Night, Levi.”

Levi opened his mouth to wish him a goodnight as well, maybe tell him some more information. Like where the hell is hotel was in the first place, or the room number? But no, Eren hung up the line like the little brat he was.

To be safe, Levi sent him a quick text of his hotel before shutting his phone off and going to sleep.

He made sure to put his phone on silent.

-

**[Unknown] Here.**

Levi took one look at the text before he flew out of the door, wallet, keys and phone in hand.

Getting ready that morning was certainly a pain. He packed his usual, business casual outfits along with one formal one for the actual day of the wedding. After mulling over his clothing choices for what seemed like hours, he picked out some dark looking clothes and ironed them like there was no tomorrow. 

Usually, Levi would have no issue with frivolous things like clothes. This morning was a little different. He was getting ready to have breakfast with Eren, something they hadn’t done together in quite awhile. He wasn’t quite sure which clothes would scream, ‘I’M TOTALLY OVER YOU’ with a dash of unapproachable-ness.

In the end, Levi chose black jeans, his trusty black boots, a gray sweater pulled over a button up and one of his Rolex watches. It was as casual as he could possibly be, though Eren might have a word or two to say about it.

The elevator doors opened and Levi stepped out onto the lobby, enjoying the lack of patrons milling about. He supposed that was one of the few benefits of booking extremely expensive hotels. He actually didn’t quite care whether he was in a 5 star hotel or some hole in the wall place, but he supposed he could afford it so why not? 

He stepped out onto the parking lot, the sun hitting him in the eyes. Levi scowled, using his hand as a makeshift visor while he looked around the parking lot.

He found a familiar, used Honda Civic waiting a few parking spots away. It ran like shit, but Levi could never forget the car or the nights they held there. He took in a deep breath as he braced himself. The raven walked towards the vehicle, each step feeling heavier and heavier. 

Levi opened the car door right away, being met with a pair of blue-green eyes staring right back at him.

The lawyer quickly looked away. He swung himself into the car and buckled himself in, ignoring the penetrating stare of the driver next to him.

“It’s nice to see you too, Levi,” The deep voice remarked with a hint of fondness. Levi swallowed thickly.

“Let’s go eat.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I kinda adore this story ?? A lot?? So yeah that’s fun. I should also mention this prompt is based on a sasunaru fanfic I read somewhere and I’ll definitely link it when I find it again. 
> 
> But thanks for the lovely comments and I hope you enjoy!!

_Shiganshina looked different,_ Levi thought, pressing as close to Eren’s car window as he possibly could. _No, that’s ridiculous. Shiganshina looked the same like it always had been. So what’s so different?_

Levi looked over at Eren, who stoically kept his eyes on the road. He looked different, and that was something Levi could say with absolute certainty. Eren was only months older, but his muscles swelled and his hair grew like crazy. It was long, dusting around his ears and the back of his neck. He had the top half of his scalp tied in a sloppy, tight bun that looked (regrettably) attractive on Eren. He’d only seen the man with short hair that made him look like a teenager, after all. It’s not like the stubble on Eren’s jaw and chin helped.

Levi deflated slightly. He wondered who’d been lucky enough to have this version of Eren in their bed, but he also didn’t want to think about that while he was here. It was only for a dumb weekend, and Levi was doing this for . . . Well, he wasn’t exactly sure why he was doing this. He’ll figure out the reasonings for that later.

“So,” Levi ignored how quickly his body temperature was rising. He never usually initiated conversation, but he wasn’t comfortable with this painful silence, either. “How’s uh . . . How’s everything, Eren?”

Eren glared, making Levi cough and avert his gaze.

Their breakup was ugly. Very much so. While there was no cheating or abuse, there most definitely was resentment build from miscommunication and a mismatch in love language. Sure, there was attraction, but that could only do so much when you have two people who were different on an almost fundamental level.

“I graduated,” Eren remarked bitterly. “And I turned 25.”

 _25_. Levi nodded, trying hard to ignore how angry the kid still sounded, even after all these months. Levi thought Eren sounded peaceful on the phone, but he should’ve known better than to trust Eren to maintain that attitude once they were in person.

The older man was a little miffed that Eren had turned 25. It almost seemed surreal, the way he’d celebrated three of Eren’s birthdays, from when he was 22 all the way to 24 and yet he had missed 25? Of course Levi thought about sending Eren a courteous birthday message, but he erased it all and went to the bar instead. That night was bitter.

Levi wasn’t sure what to say anymore. The brunet shared Levi’s initial wish of keeping as little contact as possible, it seemed. But every glare and cold word from Eren stung like a needle, and this was making Levi uncomfortable. Levi sure as hell wasn’t over the breakup either, but he was already here, right? Couldn’t Eren afford to be even a little more polite?

Before the two could say anything more, Eren pulled into the parking lot of a familiar breakfast join run by one of his friend’s family. Levi couldn’t remember the name of the obnoxious girl—Sarah? Tasha?

The car door opened and Levi was a little shocked to realize it had been Eren who opened the door for him. Though, the younger looked incredibly annoyed at having done so.

Levi opened his mouth to speak, but Eren interrupted him first.

“Everyone thinks we’re still together, remember?” Eren raised a brow, stepping to the side. “The more you act like it, the faster this weekend will be.”

Eren stepped into the café, leaving Levi stunned behind him.

-

The café hadn’t changed a bit.

It was just as warm and pleasant as Levi remembered. It was also very clean, which was something of the utmost importance to the lawyer. He didn’t like venturing into restaurants often, but he was glad he always came here with Eren. It was one of their favorite spots.

It was a plain looking building with many tall windows. There was a cheery sign hand painted on the front that read “The Egg and I”, which Levi thought to be an odd name, but it’s run by an odd family.

Eren and Levi sat in the booth in the corner, surrounded by small plants and bright windows. It was their usual spot for late night study sessions, post-sex meals or just the casual breakfast with friends. It made Levi sad.

Sasha came around quickly and was extremely excited to see the two in their spot again. She wrote down their orders with haste. She was just as excitable and happy as ever, which made Levi nervous. 

They caught up quickly, Levi wanting to ask if her and that bald kid were still together, but he remembered that he had to pretend like he and Eren were still dating. And if they were still dating, surely, Levi would’ve known already. 

“It’s so nice to see you, Levi!” Sasha (Levi remembered now. He felt bad, but he also remembered that Eren and her weren’t particularly close anyway) grinned, grabbing the menus from the two men. “My Pa _always_ asks about you, says he misses seeing yer old mug around here!”

Levi offered a sheepish smile, unwilling to keep his face flat like he usually would. “My apologies. I’ve been working myself to the bone, but I’ll come by more often.” 

“You better!” The girl winked, playfully shoving the older man before turning and walking away. “Don’t work yourself to death, now!”

The older man felt at more ease with how Sasha’s charismatic presence almost melted away any Levi’s tension. Throughout his and Eren’s relationship, he remembered this Sasha girl being one of Eren’s friend’s girlfriends. She was always bringing over delicious food and being loud, but she also had a very forgettable face. 

Eren didn’t look impressed. “You could at least wait until we fake break-up to flirt with women, you know.”

Levi glared, remembering now how vicious Eren’s jealousy problem was. He opened his mouth to argue and call Eren an idiot for even assuming that. How inappropriate, really. Out of all the people in Paradis to flirt with, why on Earth would Levi choose to go after someone in Eren’s circle?

He rolled his eyes and crossed his arms instead. He shouldn’t even entertain this offensive implication from his ex-boyfriend. It doesn’t matter what the fiery brunet thought anyway. Levi could have sex with Eren’s mother and it _still_ wouldn’t be any of his business.

“So who all knows about us?” Levi asked instead, lifting his glass of water to sip.

Eren mirrored his ex-boyfriend’s actions, taking a sip of his own water. “Armin. That’s it.”

“I didn’t think you would say anything to him,” Levi remarked aloud, surprised. “So what made you tell him, of all people?”

“He’s my best friend, Levi,” Eren huffed in disbelief. “I live with him now, too. Couldn’t afford my own apartment anymore, so now I’m just crashing with him and his girlfriend Annie.”

Levi grimaced. This Annie girl was a sore subject for Eren, but Levi didn’t care to prod. He could make all sorts of assumptions in his head about the problems Eren was facing. It wouldn’t have been hard. The kid can be an asshole.

“So what exactly is our excuse when we go to this rehearsal dinner tonight?” Levi asked curiously, the pits of his stomach churning slightly.

Eren hummed, his eyes searching for an answer. “We’ll just say you’ve been busy. It’s a high profile case, I dunno? You’re the super fancy lawyer here.”

“And you’re still wanting to be a counselor?” Levi asked, grimacing at how condescending that question came out. “And I’m not asking to be an asshole.”

The brunet huffed, slightly amused. “It’s been half a year, Levi. My life plans wouldn’t change because of our breakup.”

“Jesus Christ, that’s not what I meant,” Levi snapped, his irritation growing. “I’m just trying to be polite and catch up.”

Eren narrowed his eyes, obviously untrusting of Levi’s words. He had no reason to be. Levi was a self-professed honest person. Why the fuck would he have any incentive to lie _now_?

 _For a counselor, you sure are bad at talking to people,_ Levi wanted to spit at him. Instead, he just drank his water. Some things are better left unsaid.

“You want us to kiss, or what?” Levi asked. “For tonight, I mean.”

Eren shrugged. “If we need to, I guess. Don’t overthink it, Levi. We just gotta pretend nothing happened, alright?”

Levi let out a breath. Eren was right. Levi was overthinking it, but he couldn’t help it The man was brutally honest and straightforward with everyone he met, so the fact that he had to hold this horrible secret under wraps for an entire weekend was akin to torture.

The food arrived and the pair began eating. Eren, with that horrid sweet tooth of his, ordered waffles with a side of eggs and bacon. Levi stuck with his omelet and ham, of course.

And for a domestic moment, it truly did feel as though nothing happened. Four years was a long time to be with someone, and when falling into a trusted routine with someone, it felt like second nature.

The noise of Eren eating and the mere presence of the brunet sent knots to Levi’s insides. He accounted for this before coming here, but it still hurt all the same. All the memories of late night crying and zombie-like mornings came coming back to Levi. All the struggles and hardships of a fresh break up were reopened, and Levi suddenly found it extremely difficult to swallow his food. 

“Thank you for doing this for me,” Eren broke the silence. These words were the first time Levi’s heard Eren be honest about his feelings this entire day. He looked troubled, and though his hair was long as his face stupidly handsome, he looked tired. His face was skinner and his gem-like eyes reduced to a dim glow. Why hadn’t Levi noticed this before?

“Don’t worry about it,” Levi replied, concern eating away at the edge of his thoughts. “It’s nice seeing you again, Eren.’

Eren smiled, his mouth opening and closing before his shoulders slumped. “You too, Levi.”

-

“How exactly have you explained the whole living situation?” Levi asked in the car. 

After breakfast, Eren explained they were going to their mom’s house before the rehearsal. This was just to catch up and hang out, which was something the Jaeger household did often. They were a fairly laidback family, which was the complete opposite of Levi’s Type A family. He missed it. 

Eren was driving again. “What do you mean?”

“Well, it’s been half a year,” Levi stated dumbly. “And you’ve been living with Armin. I assume that’s pretty difficult to explain why you’ve stopped living with your boyfriend of four years.”

The brunet answered quickly. “It’s not. I just said you moved to be closer to the case you’re working on but I go and visit when I can.”

 _A pretty flimsy excuse to anyone who isn’t a lawyer,_ Levi thought to himself. He also wondered how long Eren was supposed to maintain this lie for. It’s a pretty big secret to keep, and it’s a little odd that Eren kept it going for half a year.

He looked over at his ex. Wouldn’t that have been painful? To pretend you were with someone post-breakup for that long? Especially when your sister was moving on to get married. Levi didn’t doubt that many comparisons or questions were made to Levi’s own relationship with him. What gives?

“I know I already agreed,” Levi started, making Eren look over at him warily. “But why not just say I broke up with you last minute?”

“It was the other way around,” Eren coldly reminded, making Levi roll his eyes.

_This kid’s pride was unbelievable at times._

“But I didn’t say anything because Mikasa and everyone else was over the moon when Jean finally popped the question. Planning this wedding has been so important to them that—I just couldn’t. You know my family, Levi. They would’ve been coddling me instead of celebrating,” Eren’s voice became lost. “So . . . That’s why.”

“You can’t expect me to pretend for a few more months.” 

“I know,” Eren replied. “So just pretend for another day or two and you can go back to your high rise apartment and fuck off. I’ll tell them we broke up later.” 

Levi turned to fully face Eren from the passenger seat. “You know, you’re being very fucking bitter for someone who did the breaking up. You realize that, don’t you?”

Eren grew red in the face. “Levi—“

“ _No_ ,” Levi snapped, nearly in Eren’s face now. “I traveled hours here to come help you and your family in your shitty little lie. I didn’t have to fucking do that, Eren. I could’ve left you to the wolves and blocked your number, but instead, I’m cleaning up after your mess.”

The raven sat back down, the adrenaline pumping through his veins and almost making him lose sight of it all.

“ _You_ broke up with _me_ ,” Levi coldly reminded, jamming his finger to open the window next to him. “So don’t act like a shitty brat when it never had to be this way.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Are you surprised that Eren initiated the breakup?? Do u think Eren should’ve been honest?? So many questions and more. 
> 
> Anyway I hope you enjoyed!!!!
> 
> Follow me on twitter for updates !!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Godddd I am in love with this story. Thank you all for reading and commenting!! I’m glad you like it too! 
> 
> I’m pretty proud of this chapter as well. Enjoy!

_It was a normal day._

_At least that’s how it began. Levi kissed Eren goodbye before driving down to the firm he worked at. Eren wished him well, visibly warm and excited for their dinner plants later._

**_[Eren] ur not gonna flake, are u?_ **

_Levi glanced down at his phone, knowing he was unable to reply because of this meeting._

_Eren had made dinner plans for the two of them in their shared apartment. While the college student couldn’t offer much in terms of finances (not that Levi minded), Eren did his best to cook and help around the place. He made wonderful German meals learned from his family and cleaned the way Levi liked it._

_Today wasn’t an event or anniversary, but it was a day in which Levi assumed he could get home on time and eat with his boyfriend. He also had big plans to talk about with Eren, what with their four year anniversary coming up._

_It was about time Levi asked about making their relationship the real deal._

**_[Eren] babe u promised me_ **

_Levi felt bad. Being a lawyer meant long hours and almost being on call for any new developments or briefings. Sure, it ate into a lot of his time with Eren but he couldn’t help it. Eren knew this._

_He was meeting with a client that had been going on for a little too long. It wasn’t a particularly dramatic case: a woman was going through a divorce and wanted nothing more than custody of her children. She was sobbing in his office, plucking tissues from his desk like flowers. He could tell she had no one to lean on. After listening to her story, Levi had to stay._

_He listened as sympathetically as he could, knowing this woman was paying full price for Levi to defend her in court to the best of his abilities. He didn’t specialize in family law by any sense of the word. He was a criminal lawyer, but he was willing to take clients where he could get them._

**_[Eren] Levi really? I know ur seeing these._ **

_“I’m sorry to hear that, Mrs. Bernstein,” Levi nodded knowingly, pressing his lips together. “We’ll get through this together.” The woman sobbed harder, every cry twisting Levi like a knife._

**_[Eren] You always do this! we talked about this two weeks ago already and ur doing this shit again. I just dont understand how—_ **

_Levi clicked his phone off._

_“You think so?” The woman raised her weeping eyes, her expression being absolute torture. Levi nodded grimly, knowing what to come._

_“I know so.”_

**[Eren] I need to talk to you.**

_The message lit up Levi’s phone once more, making Levi swallow his nerves._

_-_

_Levi didn’t want to go home. He couldn’t explain this feeling, but it was like he was late, or perhaps out of time? There was this heavy, dreadful feeling in his arms and legs. God, his heart felt heavy and fast all at once._

_He opened up his cabinet and pulled out an aged bottle of whiskey. These were for late night occasions just like these. In the late hours of his office, where the sun hung low and Levi had just finished being involved in a very draining case. Or in the early mornings, he would come in and be spammed with angry or hurt messages from Eren. Levi hated whenever Eren was hurt. Especially when he hurt because of Levi._

_He popped open the bottle with a smooth, fluid motion and drank from it. The alcohol stung, burning his eyes and coating his throat in fire._

_Levi grunted, hoisting the bottle onto his desk and glaring at his plant._

_Were the leaves always this dusty?_

_He grabbed a few tissues, set on cleaning through each and every spine. He wanted to make sure his plants were clean for his clients, don’t you know? How else was he supposed to find work that way? Who would hire a lawyer with filthy plants?_

_Minutes fell. His office darkened and it felt as though the air was slowly dissipating from within the room. Levi felt sick. The alcohol swirled inside him, his anxiety making for a terrible concoction within. His colleagues slowly left, wishing him a goodnight with a wary look. Levi promised to lock up._

_He resided to his desk. He sat down, slumped in his chair and crossed his arms. All he had was time, now. He could savor these few moments to himself and act like everything was okay._

_A figure loomed in the doorway, making Levi flinch._

_He relaxed. “Oh. Hey, Petra.”_

_She smiled sheepishly. She was an associate at the firm—more like an intern that preferred studying under Levi, but a good worker. She always stayed around until Levi left, dutifully working for him._

_“Hey, Levi,” she smiled, tucking her hair behind her ear. “Erm—Eren’s here.”_

_Levi fell in his seat. A bitter feeling entered his gut and he stood. Petra moved to the side and Eren entered the room, moving slowly. He closed and locked the door behind him. He had his coat on and he looked puffy, like he’d been crying for hours._

_“Eren, I’m sorry,” Levi spoke first, his words desperate. He stood. “I—I need you to understand that, okay? I didn’t mean—“_

_“Enough,” Eren raised a hand. He clenched his hands at his sides, Levi’s wide eyes watching his every move._

_Eren stayed by the door, one hand clenched on the door handle. He opened and closed his mouth a few times, each time furrowing his brows. Turquoise eyes shone brilliantly in the dark, but they screamed trouble._

_“I can’t do this anymore, Levi,” Eren spoke, his voice shattering Levi’s heart._

_“Eren, don’t—“_

_“Don’t do that, Levi. Don’t fight for me now—Ugh! Our entire relationship you’re as cold as ice but—all of a sudden—you wanna be a loving boyfriend now?” Eren raised his voice. “Fucking hell, I still can’t read you. After all these years!”_

_“I’ll be better, Eren,” Levi stumbled over his own words, the English catching in his mouth. “I know you want me to be all lovey-dovey and shit—“_

_“Jesus Christ, are you drunk?”_

_Levi blinked, his eyes stinging. He recoiled at the question, almost as if he’d never heard of alcohol in his life._

_“I-I’ve had a drink or two,” Levi mumbled, brows drawing together. “Why, do you want me to stop drinking? I can stop drinking, Eren!” He finished the last part in earnest._

_For Eren, he’d throw away all the bottles of liquor in the world. Anything._

_“It’s not about that,” Eren shook his head. “I’m done. It’s over.”_

_The words fell onto Levi’s ears like a blanket of snow. At first, he wasn’t sure if he heard Eren correctly at all. He said he was done? He said it was over?_

_Levi turned cold, his own fists clenching. He turned and crossed his arms, staring holes right outside his window._

_The scenery was calm. The lights of Shiganshina twinkled beneath Levi’s window, coldly reminding him of Eren’s heavy presence in the room._

_“If you want to go, then fine,” Levi stood straighter, glaring over his shoulder. “I’ve never been one to stop you.”_

_Eren’s mouth flew open before he marched forward, slapping his hands on Levi’s desk. He looked furiously angry. And back then, Levi shouldn’t have blamed him._

_“You’re not going to fight for me!?” Eren nearly screamed, causing Levi to flinch. The older man turned and glared, more shocked by the rude shouting._

_It was Levi’s turn to get angry. “What do you mean, ‘fight for you’?! If you want to leave, then leave, Eren! You are the one breaking up with me and if you—“_

_A crash sounded. Levi jumped, startled before looking around the room and realizing Eren had send Levi’s plant to the floor, where the pot shattered and dark mounds of dirt spread over the carpet._

_“Eren, get the fuck out,” Levi pointed towards the door. His voice was shaky, terrified and gloomy all at once. “I can’t have you acting like a child in here.”_

_“Un-fucking believable,” Eren growled. His voice was bitter now, his throat roughed and angry. He was shaking, tears falling from his eyes. Levi hated the sight, but Eren only bright this upon himself! It never had to be this way!_

_“Even in the end, you still see me as a little kid,” Eren grumbled, his mouth twisting and tightening. “But you know what, Levi? You know what this kid realized?”_

_“You’re a damn coward,” Eren stood. “You’ll fight for any client in court but you can’t fight for me. I hope you wake up one of these days.”_

-

Levi looked over at Eren, who looked a lot older than he did that night half a year ago.

The sunlight his his face in a warm, and uncomfortably familiar way. His eyes looked so stunning in the daylight that Levi couldn’t help himself. It was aching to remember the early mornings in bed they’d have together, stolen moments from the stream of life Levi was so used to.

Mikasa, Eren and Levi were sitting at the breakfast nook in Carla’s kitchen. They all just finished eating a pretty hefty breakfast, though it was vastly approaching high noon. But that’s how Eren’s family was; breakfast was at noon and lounging around was an all day event.

Upon arrival to Carla’s home, the mother berated Levi for being gone for too long. She cried about his absence before Eren’s scary looking sister showed up. She glared at Levi with a harsh look before pulling him in to a tight hug. Levi was shocked and so was Eren.

The two were ushered inside and served breakfast, though they just ate. Levi knew better than to tell Carla ‘no’, though.

“So how long are you staying in town?” Carla asked, igniting a flame where there had been a lull in conversation.

Levi wet his dry lips before having another sip of his coffee. “I’m leaving Sunday night, actually.” And he really was. He knew Carla would demand as much time from him as possible. He had even warned those at his firm he might be gone from work Monday, but he didn’t want to make any calls just yet. Who knows how the rest of this weekend was meant to go.

“So soon?” Carla pouted, drying her wet hands on her apron. “But we haven’t seen you in forever! Can’t you stay another week?” Mikasa looked attentive towards Levi, anticipating the answer to the question she shared with her mother.

The older man grimaced. “I can’t, really. I’m on a tight schedule.”

“Where are you working now, Levi?” Carla asked, cocking out her hip and resting a hand there. “We tried to ask Eren but that damn kid is so private about you.”

Eren didn’t respond, only using his fork to draw circles in the residue of oil on his plate.

“I’m working in Mitras.”

“Mitras?” Mikasa spoke, her voice faulting. “Like, _Mitras_ -Mitras?”

“Yes, I run my own firm there.”

Eren looked stunned, but he tried to hide it the best he could.

Carla whistled, impressed. “You must be making a pretty penny up in Mitras. There’s so much crime there that your law firm probably feels like mopping the ocean, huh?”

 _Don’t I know it._ Levi thought begrudgingly.

“Well, I’m just glad you’re doing good things and taking care of Eren.”

“I’m just glad Eren still makes the time to visit me every so often. I’m sure it must be lonely out here,” Levi noted, intending for the last part of his sentiment to sting. It landed, making Eren scoff to himself.

Mikasa frowned. “Eren needs to invite us out, then.”

“Ooh!” Carla lit up. “Yes! Mikasa, you know that outlet mall I’ve been telling you about—?”

“Mitras, huh?” Eren mumbled under his breath, giving Levi a quick glance over.

Levi shrugged. “Shiganshina had no more room for another law firm. It’s not like I had anything keeping me here anymore.”

Eren gave him a troubled look.

-

Before the rehearsal, Carla nearly demanded she carpool with Eren and Levi before her son stopped her right in her tracks. He argued about wanting some alone time with Levi, to which Carla finally relented and allowed the two to be alone. Levi was grateful, since he needed time to fully build up the nerves to see all of Eren’s family again.

Levi didn’t want to leave Carla’s warm house, truth be told. They ended up playing some board games together where Eren actually loosened up. He was laughing again, making jokes and getting into unimportant arguments with his sister.

The lawyer didn’t say much during those few hours, only relieved that Eren was having such a good time already. Eren was a competitive spirit, with things like video games and board games getting him riled up like no other. He even brushed Levi’s thigh and arm a few times—those coupled acts of intimacy appearing almost unnecessary and yet everything Levi needed.

And before Levi knew it, the two were back in Eren’s car, the silence falling between them once more. The sun was setting quickly, the skies being painted in hues of orange and purple.

“Have any song requests? The banquet hall is kinda far from here.”

Levi blinked, humming as he leaned against the console in the car. He enjoyed this—the falling of night around them and the soft hum of the air conditioner going. He smiled a bit to himself, almost forgetting how easily Eren grew hot. The damn kid slept naked with the fan on.

“Mitski, please,” Levi answered. “ _Francis Forever_.”

Eren tilted his phone towards Levi, who raised an eyebrow at him. The brunet scoffed.

“Same passcode, Levi.”

“Is that so.”

The older man took the aged iPhone into his fingers before hesitantly typing in the code. He was scared Eren might’ve been pulling a prank on him, but . . .

 **1-2-2-5-**. . . Levi bit onto his bottom lip.

 **8-8**.

He didn’t want to think too much about the fact that Levi’s birthday was _still_ Eren’s passcode. Even after all this time. The kid was forgetful as hell, so it might’ve been that Eren just refused to change it. Levi was sure that was the reason.

He noticed the background photo was changed. Last Levi remembered, it was a photo of him and Eren on one of their vacations. Now, it was just a simple photo of a sunset over an ocean.

_Tch. What a sappy brat._

“Don’t go snooping on my phone,” Eren grumbled. “You already know too much.”

“Opening Spotify now, Eren,” Levi promised, doing exactly what he promised.

It was a little strange for Eren to be touchy about his phone _now_. Back when they were dating, they used each other’s devices all the time. It had become second nature to pick up Eren’s phone to find a funny video the brat promised to show him, or to find sappy pictures.

Levi shook his head.

He found the song right away and allowed it to play, the soft strumming of guitars filling Eren’s speakers. The familiar song did plenty to ease Levi’s nerves.

_“I don't know what to do without you  
I don't know where to put my hands   
I've been trying to lay my head down   
But I'm writing this at 3am . . .” _

Levi tapped finger onto the console along with the beat. The solemn singing was incredibly comforting.

_“I don't need the world to see  
That I've been the best I can be, but   
I don't think I could stand to be   
Where you don't see me . . .”_

Eren hummed along, fairly intimate with his ex-boyfriend’s music tastes by now. He used to think the raven’s music taste was far too mopey, but Levi never ignored the way Eren sung along or always asked who the artist was. 

_“On sunny days I go out walking  
I end up on a tree-lined street   
I look up at the gaps of sunlight   
I miss you more than anything—“ _

“It’s cold as shit in here,” Levi spoke quickly, making Eren dart his eyes towards Levi before landing on the air conditioner.

_“I don't need the world to see  
That I've been the best I can be—“ _

“You can turn it down, you know,” Eren motioned to the lit up dashboard of his car.

_“but I don't think I could stand to be  
Where you don't see me . . .” _

Levi was uncomfortable. God the music seemed loud. “I know but—“

_“And autumn comes when you're not yet done. With the summer passing by,_

“But what?”

_“but I don't think I could stand to be—“_

“I like it.”

_“Where you don't see me.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love mitski


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello ! Sorry? I didn’t realize it had been a month already!!! That’s so crazy to me!! School has really been eating up all my time lately and I’ve just been stressed out a bit, but it made me so happy to come back and write this for you all. 
> 
> Thank you guys for your comments!! They make me smile and feel happy, and I always read them when I’m down. Love you all! See ya in the next one!!

“You feel okay?” Eren asked as the two stood, stretching their legs and rolling their joints.

Levi grimaced, his optimal mode for communication. They had just finished sitting in a few stiff ass pews, waiting for what felt like two hours as Mikasa carefully orchestrated her bridesmaids. Jean looked to be in pain as well, his eyes shutting a few times before Mikasa snapped her fingers in his face.

Levi was close to falling asleep a couple of times himself, which was surprising. Levi was a lawyer, after all; he could stand listening to long, boring hours of nonsense all he wanted.

“I know Mikasa can be intense,” Eren murmured into Levi’s ear as they waited in line to leave. “She wants tomorrow to go smoothly. So, you can see why I didn’t tell anyone.”

Levi ignored him. His first instinct was to _argue_. How could Eren neglect telling his closest family members about his break-up with Levi, whom he’s dated for _four_ years? Levi told every damn person he could as soon as it happened; he told his friends, his mother, his uncle, Petra—even his damn mailman.

But alas, Levi was far too tired and hungry to care about whatever shitty excuse Eren had to offer. He’s been sitting in this stuffy church for God knows how long and he hasn’t eaten since Carla’s house. He needed to get back to his hotel ASAP.

“Hey, Levi!” Came a grinning voice, followed by a few familiar faces behind him.

The lawyer tried hard not to grimace as Jean, Mikasa’s fiancé, approached with a wide smile. Eren only stiffened slightly, darting nervous glances back and forth between Levi and his brother-in-law. A few of his and Eren’s mutual friends were following closely behind, quietly immersed in their own conversation.

“It’s been _forever_ ,” Jean spoke with such a clarity and positivity that Levi almost had to do a double take. “I’m glad you could make it.”

 _Is this guy really talking to me?_ Levi thought, furrowing a brow.

Levi glanced behind him at Eren, who kept his hands stuffed in his jacket pockets with his lips pressed tight. How frustrating—seemed like Eren wasn’t gonna lend him a lifeboat in this Titanic situation.

The raven cleared his throat, mustering the courage to be as cordial as possible to Jean, someone who notoriously teased Levi and Eren at every opportunity.

“I’m glad I could be here,” Levi nodded. “I never thought I’d see the day you get the balls to marry this girl.” Jean’s smile grew, a blush adoring his cheeks. His friends nearby shoved him playfully, as if it were some inside joke.

“You’re one to talk!” Jean replied. “When are you and _Eren_ gonna tie the knot, huh? We’re all waiting!”

“Yeah!” A short, bald kid yelled, one brow cocked. “We wanna take Eren out on his final night of freedom, already!”

Levi expected this. He tilted his head towards Eren and considered bringing his arm around his waist, but hesitated. The brunet bore an _interesting_ expression on his face, appearing pained and embarrassed all at once. It made Levi smirk.

“Tch,” Levi answered coolly. “All in a day’s work, Kirstein. So, did Mikasa allow you to have your dream bachelor party?”

He honestly had no clue what he was talking about. He figured that Jean would have some grandiose plan for his ‘last night of freedom’ and was betting on this conversation piece. After all, Levi hasn’t been in these people’s lives for the past half year, so he ought to pretend to know what he was talking about.

Jean snorted. “If we went to Venice for our honeymoon, yeah.”

 _It worked_.

“Venice is nice,” Levi remarked, a knot forming in his gut. He remembered taking Eren to Rome around this time last year. He remembered how lovely it was, what with the food, the scenery, the hotel . . . It was all such a vivid memory. Levi remembered the way Eren’s brown hair would spread over the sheets like some art piece, and the way the sun would set on his eyes. His silence was obvious, making Jean shift his eyes nervously before erupting with another conversation starter.

“You’re coming tonight, right?” Jean asked enthusiastically. “To my bachelor party, I mean.”

“Tonight?” Levi’s mouth moved quicker than his brain could think. He looked towards Eren instinctively, as if to ask for permission.

Eren’s expression darkened. “Jean, are you fucking serious? No!”

Jean melted into an annoyed look. “Eren, what’s the big deal? It’s a strip club, you prude! Your boyfriend is gay, so I don’t really see the big deal.”

 _Bisexual, actually._ Levi corrected in his head. He stayed quiet, though, enjoying this banter between Eren and his brother in law. It was fun to watch Eren squirm.

”We’re gonna grab drinks, a bite to eat and head out to the strip club,” Jean said in a very matter-of-fact tone, now facing Levi. “Doesn’t that sound fun, Levi?” 

Levi shrugged. “Sure, why not.” 

Eren’s mouth opened and closed, clearly troubled by prospects that neither Jean nor Levi knew about. Levi never forgot how easy it was for Eren to get jealous, possessive or even enraged. He wasn’t abusive by any means of the word, just short tempered.

”Jean—“

“Levi’s _going_ ,” Jean started, his voice assertive. “I haven’t seen him in fucking forever, alright?”

“Jean,” Eren sternly repeated. “This isn’t a good idea.”

Levi shrugged. “What’s the big deal? Think I’m gonna cheat on you, Eren?” He gave him a sharp look, one that did exceptionally well at shutting Eren up.

Eren visibly gave up, only averting his gaze and looking annoyed. “Fine—! But I’m going, too!”

Levi didn’t care, but Jean sure seemed to mind a whole lot.

“No way!” Jean argued, making Levi a little miffed. He was surprised that Eren was excluded from the party from the get-go, but it’s not like the two were best of friends. “You’re gonna run to your sister and tell her all about the dancers and the drinking—“

“Then don’t do something I have to snitch on you about!” Eren snapped back, Levi smirking. Jean opened and shut his mouth, fighting to search for any words.

Jean glared. “Fine. Have it your way. I’ll see you guys tonight.”

-

Eren didn’t look happy.

It was an hour later when Eren arrived at Levi’s hotel. He was dressed differently, wearing a nice pair of slacks and a button up shirt that had the top few buttons loosened. Eren’s hair was tied back again, tendrils of dark brown sticking out in random places.

Levi was staring, to be honest. Last he saw Eren, he had short cropped hair that suited him, but always made him look young. Now, he looked more brooding and dark with long hair. It suited him, honestly.

 _Tch_. Levi settled into Eren’s car and fastened his seatbelt. He wasn’t here to stare at Eren, though it was many of the benefits.

“Jean is so stupid,” Eren began his venting as he drove. “Mikasa was 100% not okay with this strip club idea, but Jean kept whining and begging—Ugh. I hate that she’s getting married to this dude.”

Levi didn’t care. He was in his rights to tell Eren to shut up, that he was only here for another day, not to listen to his woes. But Levi wanted to make this trip go by as smooth as possible, and if that meant being cordial with Eren than so be it.

“Fuck that dude,” Levi stated, narrowing his eyes a little. He meant it, too.

Jean was a fucking asshole, as Levi remembered. He would constantly make jokes at Eren and Levi’s expense, with all sorts of tacky gay jokes and whatnot. It was grating, and when Eren would punch Jean on the occasion, Levi would only watch.

“Right?!” Eren cried, clearly exasperated. “He’s—Ugh. Can I tell you something?”

“What?”

Eren darted his eyes around. “I think he’s cheating on my sister.”

Levi rolled his eyes. “Yeah, right—“

“No, for real!” Eren nearly yelled back. “He’s been acting weird for the past few weeks—Mikasa has been telling me. He’s secretive, quiet, he’s been friendly—I can’t explain it. Mikasa _knows_ something’s up but we don’t have enough evidence.”

“Why the hell is she still marrying him, then?”

Eren shrugged. “Beats me. If I were to guess, it’s because he’s a safe choice. He’s rich and he listens to her. Mikasa is ace, so—“

“Wait, she’s what now?”

“Asexual?”

“Wow—when did that happen?” Levi wondered. He wasn’t surprised, though. Mikasa has always been more reserved. He couldn’t ever imagine her being comfortable with those sorts of things. Not that he imagined her in lewd situations often, of course.

Eren shrugged again. “I’m not sure, but she came out to me a few weeks ago. It does make you wonder what goes on between her and Jean, though.”

“None of our business,” Levi decided, gazing out the window.

“She’s my sister—“

“And it’s still none of your business,” Levi reminded him, flicking him on the shoulder. “Let your sister handle it like an adult. God knows we have our own problems to worry about at the moment.”

Eren glanced at Levi quickly, like he were a scolded puppy. “Are you understanding why I didn’t tell her yet?”

Levi gave him a nasty look. “Why do you care so much about that? The reasonings behind your secrecy, I mean. What you do with your life post break up is _none_ of my business. And that certainly includes what you tell people about me. Or rather, what you _didn’t_ tell about me.”

The brunet looked tired, but he kept driving. That remark seemed to lash hurt somewhere inside Eren, since he snapped his head back towards the road and furrowed his brows.

“Why are you pretending like you don’t care all the time?” Eren asked softly. “You like Mikasa, don’t you? She’s always been nice to you. A little cold, but what has she done to you? You act like you don’t care about her life or what happens—“

“Because it’s simply easier that way, Eren,” Levi snapped the younger man’s ramblings in half with a cold sentence. “I’m going to be here for another day or two then I’m flying back home where I won’t ever have to see you or your family again.”

Levi spoke the last sentence and wheezed at how pained it made him feel. It was a surprising feeling, considering that’s what Levi’s been telling himself for the past few months. There was something agonizing about speaking it aloud, though.

Eren was quiet. Levi didn’t blame him.

-

Once they arrived to the club, Levi didn’t take off running to the bar like he expected himself to. Instead, he stayed by Eren’s side and glanced around the club warily.

He wasn’t new to the scene, as he and Eren would venture into clubs and bars all the time in their relationship. It was a good way to let loose and get along with one another. But now, being in a club with Eren, who broke up with him months prior, felt a little . . .

Levi did a quick prayer. 

Uncomfortable.

They found Jean and his table quickly. Levi did a quick head count and found that there were seven people sitting down, Jean included.

Jean stood, a bright smile on his face. “Heyy, it’s my favorite fellas! Get over here, man! You’re late!”

Eren’s face twisted. “Jean—Are you drunk already?”

Jean rolled his eyes. “Fuck yeah I’m drunk already. It’s my damn bachelor party, stupid ass. Come sit! We’re just waiting on our server.”

Eren scooted into the booth next to a pissed off looking guy with an undercut, someone who Levi’s never seen before. He vaguely recognized the other faces—Armin, the bald kid, Reiner, a tall kid, a freckled dude, and then the pissed off undercut guy. Then of course, Jean, who sat eerily close to the freckled guy, who looked too shy to be here.

Armin looked surprised, his eyes drifting between Levi and Eren with a curious concern. Levi swallowed thickly as he remembered that Armin was the only one who knew about their breakup. Seems as though he was good at keeping his mouth shut as well.

“Guys, it feels so good to be married,” Jean sighed, stretching out his arms over the back of the booth and looking up to the ceiling with a dumb look on his face. “I think I’m obsessed with Mikasa.”

Eren’s mouth twisted and Levi looked over at him with curiosity. An amusing smile passed over Levi’s face as he stared at Eren. The kid was always bad at hiding his facial expressions.

“I know what you mean,” Armin chided along. “Annie is everything I’ve ever wanted. Smart, talented, caring, thoughtful—“

Eren rolled his eyes, Levi giving him a nudge.

“All the single guys, shut the hell up, this conversation isn’t for you,” Jean snickered, a blush covering his face. “Levi, how’s life been? Mikasa says you’re in Mitras now?”

The guys silenced, eager to listen. Levi scoffed, fully aware the impact the name ‘Mitras’ had on conversation. He hated it.

“It’s great,” Levi answered honestly. “I have some hardworking people working under me.”

“Any hotties?” The bald kid asked, the table snickering at his question.

Reiner shoved him. “I’m telling Sasha!”

“Whatever!” Connie loudly exclaimed, displeased at the drop of her name. “Not sure if you know, Levi, but she totally dumped me a few weeks ago.”

Levi’s brow raised. “No kidding?”

Jean heaved a sigh. “ _God_ , I don’t wanna hear you mope again—“

“Shut up, Jean!” Eren snapped, his statement burning like fire. Levi nudged him again.

“She dumped me for this guy that started working at her family’s restaurant,” Connie elaborated, his pout becoming more obvious now. “He’s tall, hot and blond. And a good cook. What do I got?”

“You’re very funny,” The pissed off guy offered sarcastically, making even Levi chuckle.

Jean’s eyes brightened. “Levi, sorry—Fuck—that’s Porco. Reiner knows him and he’s pretty cool when he isn’t being an asshole to people. You guys might get along.”

“Hi,” Porco offered.

“Hey,” Levi replied. “Anyway, that sucks, Connie. You should hook up with a stranger tonight.”

The table hooted in approval, Connie looking positively embarrassed. Reiner chided along, throwing an arm around Connie and messing with him a bit. Jean laughed loudly, clapping his hands like an idiot.

Eren looked pissed. “Is that _really_ what he should be doing right after a breakup?”

“It’s what I did,” Levi coldly replied, meeting Eren’s eyes right away.

Eren’s mouth open and closed before shutting and glaring harshly at the table. No one else seemed to notice though, as they were too busy giving Connie a few teasing shoves and remarks.

“I’m gonna buy us drinks!” Eren stood, causing the table to shake from his abrupt action. “Armin, come with me.”

Jean, the freckled kid and Levi were all scooted out of the way as Eren and Armin made their way out of the booth. They headed out quickly, Jean whistling low behind them.

A silence passed over the table and Levi grew uncomfortable as he realized the rest of Eren’s friends were looking at him. 

“You guys in a fight, or what?” Reiner frowned at the duo that quickly disappeared into the crowd.

Levi shrugged. “Something like that.”

The freckled kid looked sympathetic. “You guys seem like a nice couple. I hope you guys smooth it over.”

“Maybe he’s mad you’re not putting a ring on it,” Porco offered, his voice calculative. “He’s watching his sister get married all while you’re working in Mitras.”

Levi knew these words were bullshit—that they meant nothing to any situation that was here or there. But it didn’t matter. He wasn’t going to see these people again, so he’ll accept their kindness in stride.

He knew that nothing he could do would ever win Eren back. At least not now.

Jean trilled his lips and waved his hand about. “Eren is such a baby, dude—Levi, he’s been missing you sooooo much ever since you started up work in Mitras.”

Levi couldn’t help his smirk. “Yeah?”

Reiner nodded. “Oh yeah. He acts all sad when we ask about you, just says he misses you a lot. Poor guy.”

Porco shrugged. “There’s your answer.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m sorry I had to end it here 😭😭 it was getting long so I cut it off. But expect the next chapter soon!!!! Thank you!!

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!!! Comments and criticisms are always welcome!! 
> 
> I’m on Twitter at skullstrings and tumblr at skullstringz.


End file.
